Reel for magnetic recording apparatus



p l947- B. L. CANFIELD 2,427,193

REEL FOR IAGNETIKE RECORDING APPARATUS Filed m. 26, 1944 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 QFFICE near. son arsonsrrc aaconmso mans'ros Bailey L.

ma. ueignor to Canileld, Elkhart, C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind a corporation of Indiana Application December 26, 1944, SerlalNo. 569,793

7 Claims. (01. 242-118) This invention relates to reels for magnetic recording apparatus and more particularly to a reel to be mounted on a magnetic recording or reproducing apparatus on which wire may be wound. I g

It has been proposed to utilize on a magnetic recording or reproducing apparatus a permanently mounted takeup wheeler spool having a leader connected thereto carrying a coupling for detacha-ble connection to a wire on a supply spool or reel. The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of a takeup reel or spool for use'with apparatus of this character in which provisions are made to prevent tangling or binding of the wire with the leader or the coupling as the wire iswound on the takeup spool.

Another object is to provide a reel in which the takeup spool is formed with a peripheral recess to receive the coupling so that the wire can be wound over the coupling wit'h'out tangling or binding.

Still another object is to provide a. reel in which the leader and wire are wound on separate spools.

A further object is to provide a reel in which inner and outer relatively rotatable spools are provided to receive the leader and wire respectively with a recess on the outer spool to receive a coupling connecting the leader and wire. According to one feature of the invention the inner spool is driven by the apparatus and the outer spool is connected to the inner spool th'ru the leader and coupling to be driven thereby only after the leader has been fully wound.

The above and other objects and advantages will, be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an axial section of a reel construction embodying the invention with the leader and coupling omitted, taken on the broken line l--l 'ofFigure 2;

therein is provided with a hub portion ll adapted to be mounted on a shaft on the recording or reproducing apparatusto be driven therethru.

' The reel has a web portion H connected to the hub which carries an outer cylindrical spool por- 2 tion I! terminating at its ends in flanges ii. In using th'e reel on a magnetic recording or reproducing apparatus a leader is adapted to be permanently connected at one end to the reel and I to carry a coupling for connecting it to a wire on a supply spool or the like. Since the coupling is of larger diameter than the leader and the wire. there is danger that in winding the wire over the top of the coupling the wire might wedge around the coupling to become tangled with the coupling and leader. If this should occur, the

the leader is wound onto the spool body it is of such a length that the coupling will fall into the recess ll so that when the wire is subsequently wound over the leader and coupling it will lie over the coupling and will not tend to wedge between the coupling and adjacent turns of the leader or wire. Therefore, when the wire is unwound it will come oil of the reel freely without tangling so that danger of breakage is minimized.

In the reel construction shown in Figures 1 and -2 the apparatus is formed with a shaft ii driven thru a friction drive means or the like to permit slipp ge to compensate for change of diameter of the reel. The shaft is formed with a portion ll of intermediate diameter and an end portion ll of minimum diameter. A small spool ll is mounted on the shaft Portion it and is keyed or spllned thereto to be driven by the shaft.

A leader I! is connected at one end to the spool I8 and is adapted to be wound on the spool. The leader carries a coupling II at its free end which may be detachably connected to a wire or the like indicated at 21.

On the small end portion ll of the shaft a second hollow spool I3 is rotatably mounted on a bearing it so that it is rotatable relative to the shaft and the inner spool ii. The spool 23 encloses the spool II and is formed with an axially extending slot 15 in its periphery of a size such that theleader ll may pass freely therethru but too small to pass the coupling II. The slot 25 is formed at the bottom of an axially extending recess 26 which is of such a size and shape as to receive the coupling 2| so that no part thereof will project beyondthe periphery of the reel. Preferably a weighted portion ll is provided diametrically opposite to the boss in which the recess 26 and slot 25 are formed to counter-balance the weight of the boss.

In operation when the leader is unwound from the reel l8 it will extend thru the slot 25 so that the coupling 2! may be connected to the end of the wire 22 at a point remote from the takeup reel. During operation of the apparatus, the shaft IE will be driven to turn the reel 18 and wind the leader l3 thereon, the reel 23 remaining stationary at this time so that the leader may feed to the inner reel thru the slot 25. When the coupling 2! reaches the recess 26 the inner.

similar to that of Figures 1 and2 except for the manner of mounting the reels. In this construction, the apparatus is formed with a shaft having a reduced end portion 28 and the reel construction includes a small inner spool 29 and an outer spool 3|, enclosing the inner spool and supported on bearing members 32. The shaft portion 28 fits into the hub of the inner spool 29 and may be keyed or splined thereto. The bearing portions 32 fltrotatably on the shaft 28' so that the outer spool may rotate relative to the inner spool and the shaft. The outer spool is formed with a peripheral slot 33 and a recess 34 corresponding to the slot .25 and recesses 26 of Figure 1. This apparatus operates in the same manner as that of Figures 1 and 2 differing therefrom only in the construction and mounting of the spools. y

In the apparatus of Figure 4 a supporting plate 35 is formed with an opening thru which a shaft 36 extends. The shaft 36 is keyed or splined to a smaller inner spool 31 and an outer spool 38 encloses the inner spool. The outer spool is formed with a peripheral slot 39 and a recess 1 4| corresponding to the slot 25 and recess 26 of Figure 1. I

The outer spool 38 is in turn enclosed by a cup shaped casing or housing 42 which fits against 4 the inner reel except when the reels are connected by means of the leader.

With the several reel constructions of the invention, the coupling on the end-of the leader is received in a recess in the periphery of the outer .reel so that in all cases the wire may be Wound on the reel without wedging against or tangling with the leader or coupling. In the embodiments of Figures 1 to 5, the wire and leader are wound on separate coaxial reels which are connected only by the leader so that the exact length of the leader is not important to cause the coupling to fall properly in the recesses.

The constructions of Figures 1 to 5 provide an additional advantage on machines in which the wire speed is governed by the speed of the shaft/ on which the take up reel is mounted. In devices of this type the leader will be wound up'relatively slowly due to the small diameter of the inner spool until the connector is received in the recess in the outer spool. Thereafter the wire will be wound onto the outer spool at a higher lineal speed due to the increased efiective spool diameter. Therefore, the coupling and the initial end portion of the wire will be threaded through the mechanism at a relatively slow speed below'the recording and reproducing speed.

While several embodiments of" the invention have been shown and described in detail herein, it is understood that these are illustrative only and are not intended as a definition of the scope of the invention reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A reel for a magnetic recording apparatus comprising a hollow spool adapted to be rotatably mounted on the apparatus, the spool being formed with a peripheral opening thru which a leader may pass and a recess connected to the opening of a size to receiv a coupling 'on the leader, and a secondlspool in and rotatable relative to the first named spool on which the leader may be wound. e V p 2. Areel for amagnetic recording apparatus comprising a hollow spool adapted to berotatably mounted on the apparatus, the spool being formed with an axially extendingslot therethru and is supported by the supporting plate 35. A

stub shaft 43 is carried by the casing 42 and a supporting plate 46 which carries a tubular stud 41 thru which a driving shaft 48 extends.

The driving shaft 48 is connected at its outer end to a small reel 43 on which the leader is adapted to be wound. An outer reel 5| encloses the reel 49 and is formed with an axialslot 52 and a recess 53 corresponding to the slot 25 and the recesses 26 of Figure 1.

The outer reel 5| is rotatably supported on the apparatus by means of an inwardly turned hub portion 54' lying within the inner reel 49 and supported on a bearing 55 on the stud 41. Thus the outer reel can turn freely relative to on which the, leader may be wound.

3. A reel for a magnetic recording apparatus having a spool supporting and driving shaft comprising a spool adapted to be mounted on the shaft to be supported and driven thereby, a sec ond hollow spool to be mounted over the first named spool-for rotation relative thereto, the second spool being formed with a peripheral'opening therein thru which a leader. may pass, and with a recess communicating with the opening to receive a coupling connected to the leader.

4. A reel for a magnetic recording apparatus having a spool supporting and driving shaft comprising a spool adapted to be mounted on the shaft tobe supported and driven thereby, a sec ondhollow spool .to be mounted over the first named spool for rotation relative thereto, a casing enclosing the second spool adapted to be mounted onthe apparatus around the shaft, and cooperating bearing means on the casing and the second spool rotatably to support the spool on the casing, the second spool being formed with an opening therein thru which a leader may pass to be wound on the first named spool.

5. A reel for a magnetic recording apparatus having a tubular stud thereon with a spool supporting and driving shaft extending therethru,

comprising a spool adapted to be mounted on the shaft to be driven thereby, a second hollow spool enclosing the first named spool, and bearing means rotatably mounting the second spool on the stud, the second spool having a peripheral opening therein thru which a leader may pass to be wound on the first named spool. I

6. A reel for a magnetic recording apparatus comprising a spool adapted to be mounted on the apparatus to be driven thereby, an elongated leader connected at one end to the spool and adapted to be wound thereon, a hollow spool enclosing the first named spool and rotatable relaaround the opening whereby the spools are drivably connected thru the leader.

7. A reel for a magnetic recording apparatus 7 with the opening, and a coupling on the leader fitting in the recess.

BAILEY L. CANFIE-Lb.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 20 1,438,212 Baluta Dec. 12, 1922 1,578,231 Doses et a1 Mar. 23, 1926 2,119,943 Marks June 7, 1938 Shutt Mar. 27, 1928 

